Erik ten Hag hits out at Andy Carroll for injuring Christian Eriksen

Erik ten Hag has lamented Andy Carroll's heavy challenge on Christian Eriksen which led to the Man Utd star's ankle injury.

Eriksen is set to be out until May after being chopped down by ex-Liverpool and Newcastle forward Carroll during Man Utd's 3-1 FA Cup fourth round win over Reading.

Speaking to the press this week, Ten Hag said that he didn't believe that tackles such as Carroll's on Eriksen should be permitted, stating: "I'm disappointed about that. I think football has to set limits, restrictions, that protect the players. What football wants is the best players to be available on the pitch.

"This is a tackle - and the two tackles after it - that don’t belong on the football pitch, because there is a high risk of injuring your colleague. So it’s worse and I’m left wondering about that.

"I'm also wondering more, when we were at Crystal Palace, when there was an elbow on Lisandro Martinez. I don't believe there was even a whistle for a free-kick and I'm wondering about such things, because it's a risk of injury for the player."

Due to Eriksen's injury, the Red Devils were forced into the transfer market on deadline day, completing the loan signing of Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich until the end of the season.